Types of Seeds to Add to Breads

By Stacy Tabb

Seeds are a tasty and healthy addition to homemade breads. According to Dr. Andrew Weil, M.D., creator of the Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid, seeds are an excellent source of healthy fats like monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids. Adding seeds to breads will give extra flavor and texture.

Seed bread recipes can focus on just one type of seed, or you can mix different seeds in the same dough. You can experiment with grinding a variety of seeds together to get a range of flavors, or roll your dough in whole seeds before baking to add visual interest to your loaf.

Flax Seeds

According to Jack Carter of North Dakota State University, grinding flax seeds will give you the best health benefits as this will release the healthy oils and fiber. Try replacing ½ cup of the flour in a bread recipe with ½ cup with ground flax seeds.

Sunflower Seeds

Like with flax seeds, you can grind up sunflower seeds and put them in your bread, replacing part of the flour with and equal amount of ground seeds.

Poppy Seeds

You can make many cake-like breads with poppy seeds, usually accompanied by a citrus flavor like lemon or orange. You also can sprinkle poppy seeds on the outside of bread for an added crunch, as you find in poppy seed breadsticks.

Sesame Seeds

Sesame seeds have a distinctive nutty flavor; usually sprinkle them on the crust of breads and rolls. Many Italian breads contain sesame seeds, and they are a popular addition to hamburger buns. You also can eat seeds in breads raw or you can toast them to give a depth of flavor.

Hemp Seeds

Toast hemp seeds in a skillet and add them to your favorite bread recipe for a crunchy addition.

Pumpkin Seeds

Like with hemp seeds, you can toast pumpkin seeds before adding them into the bread dough. You don’t have to change the recipe, just add them in in any amount you wish for some extra crunch and flavor.